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Monday, March 29, 2010

Fashion Emergency Solved!

So, I was blissfully working away on my muslin for the background dress, when a fashion disaster struck. The weather was getting warm and I somehow had no cute spring jacket! It was a travesty, people. I called an emergency halt on the background dress, pulled McCall's 5525 out of my pattern stash, and stocked up on some navy cotton pique, stat! I'm happy to report that my condition is now stable.I liked the 60s vibe of this pattern, so I attempted a bouffant hairdo for you.

I lined the jacket in white and navy polka dot lining fabric. (I can't remember if it's acetate or poly.)Here's the back:And hey! Remember this skirt?

I started with a size 16, made a muslin, and ended up taking it in a bit at the princess seams. I also narrowed the shoulders. I wanted a "shrunken" look, but I got a little carried away. I need to go to Overfitters Anonymous or something.

I did some light tailoring, which included a back stay:

Muslin interfacing on the jacket front and around the armhole:

And padstitching on the undercollar:

Guys, I love padstitching. It makes SUCH a difference in shaping a collar!

The only design change I made was to shorten the sleeves to three-quarter length, which just felt springier to me.

The verdict? I liked this pattern quite a bit, and it also comes with some classic trench variations. Highly recommended - and a fashion emergency solved! Now we can all breathe a sigh of relief and return to our regularly scheduled sewing . . .

53 comments:

This is so adorable! I love a trench in Navy. I think I will be learning much from you. Today I have to cut out my March Challenge Dress ( a dress a month!) and I get to try out my new duct tape dress form. We shall see how it works out. That little armless/headless version of me has been egging me on all week!

You are just too quick for this world... Didn't you just show us this pattern? I'm deeply impressed. Nice of you to post some of the interfacing and light tailoring on your way to the finished garment. It is truly adorable, and suits you like a cherry on the top of a cupcake. And always the nice linings... I need to find a good lining supplier!

when i was in high school my friends mom was a teacher at our local fashion school. she picked us up after school wearing some amazing, coat. my friend asked her if it was new, and she told him that she ad a date that night, and she didn't have a coat to match her outfit. so she whipped one up really fast. i was so amazed.

Awesome! Thanks for showing some of the intermediate steps. I've never tried padstitching, don't even know how but will look it up now that you've mentioned it. I'm wondering if this pattern would work well with raincoat material. Love it!

Lovely, and fab lining as usual. It's funny because whenever you show us RTW clothes (Anthropogie or some such), I always end up thinking 'But you make clothes far more interesting/stylish/personal than that!'. And here is proof again, were it needed.

Love it! Navy is fast becoming my new go to neutral. Breaking up with my all black wardrobe has been hard but navy is getting me through. This little coat is so cute, I've put it on my pattern wish list!

I love it! I have this in my stash too, and you're inspiring me to move it up on the to do list. Your fabric choice is great and your fit looks fabulous to me. What a nice interruption to our regular programming!

I'm so jealous! I want a spring coat that looks just like that! I've had that pattern and fabric picked out for two years now... I just need to get over my fear of jackets and make it. :) Thanks for the inspiration!

Utterly fantastic remedy to your Fashion Emergency! ;) I love all the tailoring details you made on this; I have yet to try my hand at padstitching, but it is high on my list of Things to Try in Sewing (Soon). ;) Plus, the polka dot lining is fabulous--definitely a great touch!

I love the coat! I'm not usually a navy coat kinda girl (despite owning one) but this is so chic and sharp. It reminds me a bit of my favorite coat ever, which I wore ragged for four years and had to toss a couple of years ago, sigh...